Kathleen Khau Portfolio 2013

Kathleen Khau katiekhau@gmail.com • (630) 864 - 1918

Mend

Liquid Bandage Applicator

Problem Commercial liquid bandages do not aesthetically appeal to consumers, are messy to use and not user-friendly.

Liquid substance is unappealing, smelly and messy

Spray is imprecise, packaging unattractive

Liquid bandages sting causing users to be hesitant to use

Competitor Products

Ethyl cyanoacrylate

Hexamethyldisiloxane, Isoctane, Acrylate Terpolymer, Polyphenylmethylsioxane

Acetone, Amyl & Ethyl Acetate, Castor Oil, Nitrocellulose, SD Alcohol 40

Poly(methylacrylateisobutene-monoisopropylmaleate), Ethy Acetate, Pentane, Menthol, CO2

- compact/por table - hygienic - precise - painless

- compact/por table - hygienic - “no sting�

- added antiseptic

- compact/por table - precise

- por table - hygienic - waterproof

- compact/por table - more waste - toxic - too little liquid

- compact/por table - imprecise

- messy - unhygienic - smells - stings

- por table - semi-large - imprecise - expensive

Prices

$7 - $11

$5 - $8

$3 - $7

$10 - $15

Steps

3 - 4 steps

1 - 2 steps

2 - 3 steps

1 - 2 steps

Ingredients

Advantages

Disadvantages

Precise

Benchmarking

?

Painful

Imprecise

Gentle Looking at existing products in the market I can see that they only come in brush on or spray forms. There is a gap in the market of products that are precise and gentle that my design could fill.

Liquid Material Research

Liquid bandages are essentially a self-curing adhesive which uses the same basic principles as so-called super glues.

A special form of acrylate glue is mixed with chemical stabilizers/curatives to form a liquid adhesive which bonds well with human skin. As the liquid bandage dries, it forms a protective polymer shell.

Carrier H H

+

Polymer

C

O

H

O

H

H H

H

O

Additives

H

C

C

+

C

H

C H

alcohol

This is the base of the liquid bandage.

It allows the bandage to dry within minutes.

acrylate

This is the nontoxic “glue� of the liquid bandage. This polymer is engineered to star t breaking down after only a few days.

tea tree oil

This is additional chemicals that are usually added to promote faster wound healing.

Storyboard 1

3

2

4

5

Ideation and Development

Form Studies

While exploring different forms I found that even when all of my models were hand held, the smaller it was the better it was. Also in testing the forms, users found that the ones that they could wrap their hands around felt “right� in their hands. I decided to go with a shape similar to that of a lotion bottle, since it was small and a form not associated with the pain of cuts or scrapes.

Final Design

Injection molded Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) High density polyethylene (HDPE) has a high melting point, is chemically resistant and is non toxic.

HDPE is also recyclable, resulting in less waste. It is often used in milk containers and toys so it will be safe and sanitary to use for a liquid bandage applicator.

The TSA has declared a 3.4 fluid ounce limit on liquid containers, so to make this product “travel size� that should be the limit.

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adjustable shelf

Problem Cabinet space is limited and without proper utilization, clutter can accumulate. This disorganization wastes valuable space.

Difficult to reach plates at the bottom of stacks, especially from higher shelves

Clutter and disorganization wastes a lot of cabinet space

Top area of shelves go unused if dishes are not stacked on top of another

Competitor Products

Advantages

- customizable - can fit multiple dish sizes

- sturdy - simple build

- sturdy - extendible

- in expensive - can fit multiple dish sizes

- stackable - folds and stores flat

- only fits 7 dishes - assembly required - inefficient space usage

- steel scratches plates - extra set of legs makes getting to plates difficult

- heavier dishes tip it over

Disadvantages

- complicated - expensive - very wide, does not fit in most overhead cabinets

- needs tall cabinet to stack - not sturdy

Prices

$50 - $60

$5 - $7

$8 - $20

$1 - $4

$12 - $15

Size

16”L x 13-23”W x 3.57”H

15”L x 8”W x 5.57”H

9.75”L x 12.75”W x 5.75”H

10.2”L x 5.8”W x 5.2”H

22.9”L x 10.2”W x 3”H

Material

Wood

Wood

Steel

PE Coated Wire

PE Coated Wire

Type of Storage

Ver tical

Ver tical

Horizontal

Ver tical

Horizontal

Benchmarking

Simple

?

Customizable

Complicated

One size fits “all�

Looking at the variety of existing products in the market I can see that they only are length adjustable shelves. There is a gap in the market for shelves that can be customizable while still being simple that my design could fill.

There are also no height adjustable shelves on the market.

Vertical vs Horizontal Ideation

Vertical: Horizontal:

Space

Horizontal stacking allows for a better use of space.

Utility

Horizontally stacked plates are easier to access and store.

Safety

Ver tical stacking leads to rolling and falling plates. Horizontal layout is safer.

Target Users

Women homeowners who spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

Household family that often eats at home and uses dishes often.

Women who have difficulty taking out and putting away dishes.

User Interviews: “I have a hard time getting the dishes out of my cupboard. If I try to stack the same types of plates on each other, then I can’t put away the rest of my utensils, so I stack my smaller plates inside of my larger plates, but then have to move the smaller plates to get to the big plates and it’s bothersome.”

“I can’t organize the inside of the kitchen cabinet well. I want a kind of organizer that I can efficiently use the space between the shelves for cooking ingredients and containers (Ziplock & lids).”

“I’d like a plate shelf that you could adjust the height manually, and that won’t slide the plates along with it.”

Storyboard 1

2

4 - cluttered - inaccessible dishes - inefficient space usage

3

5 - organized - easy access - efficient use of space

Final Design

Main body - Polyethylene coated steel wire. Steel wire is very durable, strong and can carry the weight of even heavy ceramic plates. The polyethylene covering protects the dishes from getting scratched by the steel wire frame.

Screw - Steel

Leg - ABS plastic which is impact resistant and tough.

Feet - Injection molded rubber feet. Rubber makes sure that the shelf doesn’t slip and is slightly flexible to snap on top of another shelf.

Final Design Details The feet have cut out space that allows for them to be snapped onto another shelf.

Single piece of wire that zigzags so that there are fewer sharp edges to hurt the user or scratch the plates.

The leg can easily twist upwards or downwards. Notches at intervals on the outside of the frame allow the legs to click into place at measured spots.

The rubber feet are flat at the bottom so that it does not slide or wobble.

scantunes receipt scanning music box

Problem Receipts accumulate quickly, can rapidly form clutter, are easy to lose and become a hassle to manage and organize.

Most people, especially busy moms do not have the time to manage receipts

Receipts have impor tant info that is difficult to maintain in large quantities

Receipts often end up on boxes or left in purses causing clutter

Concept Generation

I first wanted to think about how receipts could be transformed into keepsake so that it would be less likely to lose them.

Through brainstorming I found that it is the information on the receipt that is impor tant and should be kept. I wanted a way for shoppers to keep the information on the receipt but I also liked the idea of incorporating an unusual aspect to receipts like music.

Ideation and Development

A receipt scanner seemed like the best way to collect and keep the information but I felt that for every time a receipt was scanned, there should to be a reward to encourage continuing use.

I reflected back to the music incorporation idea thought to combine the two ideas into a receipt scanning music box.

Market Research There are many existing products out there that help with receipt management and all of those companies prove that receipt management is a viable market. Only one company has a physical product and it is the most successful.

What can my design do to be unique?

15.6 million

9.4 million 8 million

1.5 million

1.4 million

What if the product was for kids?

There are very little educational toys that teach children financial lessons, especially to reinforce good habits.

Storyboard 1

2

3

4

Final Design

Wooden and plastic base.

Flexible touch screen to show the music and receipt information.

ABS plastic handle with rubberized finish, soft and touchable. Crank is big and playful.

Double sided scanner sized to fit all sizes of receipts

Speakers in the back.

Power button.

Mini USB slot to connect to USB in a computer. This is to download the receipt information from the scanner.

Final Design Details Receipts are fed through the bottom slot, the screen will have easy simple instructions to follow. During the scan it will display the notes of the song being played.

Hand crank moves the receipt through the scanner. The movement is reminiscent of classical music boxes. The simple tune is a sort of ‘reward’ for scanning.

It can be connected to computers via usb cable to download receipt information or to charge.

The final design is a receipt scanner that also doubles as a music box. The music is an instant reward for scanning the receipt while the scanner collects the information from the receipts for later use by adults.

Thank You!